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(upbeat music) - Drive Time Devotions is a Saddleback Church podcast. We want to
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- Welcome to day four of First Timothy chapter four.

We're going to look at verses nine to 12 today. As we look at these verses, in this
book, First Timothy, about living with an energized faith, these verses that
we're going to look at today are at the core of what can steal away from us the
daily motivation to act and live in faith. And they're also at the core of what
can give to us a daily motivation to act and live in faith.

First in these verses, Paul talks about the foundation, that which we believe
and will not deny in our lives. In verses nine and 10, here's what he has to
say. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance and for this we
labor and strive, that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the savior
of all men and especially of those who believe.

Now, as I read those verses, most people get stuck on the word especially.
Especially, I thought it was only those who believe who have a relationship with
God through Jesus Christ. What does he mean here?

What he's talking about here is the fact that everyone can call Jesus savior,
but some choose to and some choose not to. Everyone, because Jesus died on the
cross, has the opportunity to say Jesus Christ, you are my savior. So he in one
sense, Jesus in one sense, is the savior of all people because he died for every
single man and woman who's ever lived.

But when he says especially of those who believe, he is focusing on the fact
that those of us who've come to know him as savior, we know now that he is the
savior. Not that he cannot be the savior of everyone else, but the idea of
especially here doesn't mean that others are excluded. It means that we know
now, we understand now.

We have this deep sense of who God is, who Jesus is, that he is our savior.
Jesus died for everyone. He gives the gift of forgiveness to everyone.

Some people will die with that gift tragically, unopened. But Timothy, Paul is
saying here, Timothy, you have the opportunity to let people know that they have
a savior to help them to believe. But as he talks about this here, we have a
hope in the living God, there is a problem.

There's a problem in Timothy's life that Paul is dealing with. Timothy is
struggling with an inner doubt. And that doubt is keeping him from sharing the
good news of who Jesus is.

And it's not doubts about Jesus and who he is. The doubt that Timothy is
struggling with is doubts about Timothy, doubts about himself and what he can
do. So that's why Paul writes in verses 11 and 12, command and teach these
things.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young. But set an example for
the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Don't let
anyone look down on you because you are young.

You know, there's always a because. A because that says this is why I shouldn't,
why I can't, why I won't be able to live a life of faith. A because that steals
away our spiritual confidence.

For Moses, if you take a look through the Old Testament, for Moses, it was
because I can't talk. God, I can't do this for you because I can't talk very
well. For Jeremiah, it was because they won't listen to me.

For the nation of Israel going into the promised land, it was because there are
giants in the land. We could go on and on and on. Because I'm too young, because
I'm too old, because I'm too educated, because I'm too uneducated, because I'm
too experienced, I'm inexperienced.

Paul writes and says, don't let anyone look down on you because, especially
yourself, Timothy. Don't let anyone look down on you because. Timothy's the one
who's struggling with this more than anyone else.

Sure, the false teachers are saying, he is so young, what truth could he have to
tell you? Paul is writing and saying, this is what we have. We have hope in the
living God.

That's what truth you have to tell. Have you noticed, Timothy's struggling with
self-doubt, he's struggling with a lack of confidence, have you noticed that the
world is full of people who will agree with you when you're filled with
self-doubt? The truth is, in God's kingdom, you are an important, influential
part of God's kingdom.

Not more important, not more influential than anybody else. We're all important
and influential in God's kingdom. You might think, can Christians say that?

I'm important, I'm influential. Aren't we supposed to be humble? Many people
suffer from self-doubt because of a deep misunderstanding of what humility is.

Humility, humility is not seeing yourself as less important than others.
Humility is seeing God as the most important and seeing others' needs as more
important, but seeing that we're all important in the kingdom of God. That's the
truth you have to act on.

Let me say that again. Humility is not seeing yourself as less important.
Humility is seeing God as the most important, seeing others' needs as more
important than your needs, and seeing that we're all important in the kingdom of
God.

And Paul writes, and he's giving that confidence, that encouragement to Timothy,
begin to see life in that way. Don't let anyone steal that from you, because God
has a calling in your life. And as Paul writes to Timothy about this, he then
says, I want you to act on that truth, this spiritual confidence that God has
put into your life.

Whether you feel it or not, I want you to know it, Timothy. God's given you a
call, Timothy, and I want you to live it out. God's saying the same thing to me,
same thing to you.

How do you live it out? He says, you live it out by setting an example, by
living the life. And he says, here's how you live it.

Speech, and life, and love, and faith, and impurity. Five areas of life. Speech,
life, love, faith, and purity.

Paul stresses for us in these verses, five specific areas that you and I have
the opportunity to make an impact in other people's lives, by living the way
that Jesus calls us. Begin to set an example, because God wants to make a
difference through your life. However you happen to feel about yourself today,
you may feel great about yourself, you may feel as low as you've ever felt, as
inferior to others as you've ever felt.

However you happen to feel about yourself, the truth is you are an important
influential person in the kingdom of God. He called you because he wants to use
you, because he wants to make a difference through your life. And however you
feel about yourself, instead of just trying to feel better about yourself, I
don't know about you, I've never felt better about myself by trying to feel
better about myself.

It's never happened. It always makes me feel worse about myself because I'm
focused on myself. Instead of trying to just feel better, making it just an
emotional pursuit, why don't you act in faith based on who you really are and do
these five things, speech, life, love, faith, purity.

When you're attacked by self-doubt, speech, decide to care about what you say.
Realize that what you say is going to make a difference today. The words that you
say are going to lift people's faith, or they're going to dash people's faith.

When we feel bad about ourselves, we think what I say isn't going to make any
difference in the world. Oh yes it is. So care about what you say today.

In life, see the importance of everyday life today. The little things that you
do, the little habits, the little routines, how you do them, talking to God in
the midst of them. Now, if you feel low today, if you feel discouraged today,
don't pretend that that feeling isn't there.

But what I'm saying to you is go ahead and do the little routines of life and
talk to God about your discouragement in the midst of them. Speech and life and
love. Make relationships a priority again.

It's amazing how when we feel bad about ourselves, we tend to ignore others,
others who really need us. So recognize that right now, maybe, it just may be
that Satan is tempting you to feel this way about yourself because there's
somebody you need to love today. There's somebody you need to encourage today.

There's somebody that needs to hear hope from you today. Speech, life, love,
faith. Let other people see your trust in the Lord today.

Maybe your honest trust in the Lord. Hey, I'm feeling rotten about myself today,
but I'm going to keep recognizing Jesus loves me. And I'm going to keep doing these
things he's asked me to do.

And I'm going to pray that he makes me feel better tomorrow. You trust him by
faith. Speech, life, love, faith, and then purity.

When we feel low about ourselves, Satan tempts us to think that the moral
decisions that we make make no difference. They make all the difference in the
world. He wants to make you feel inferior so that temptation, your barrier for
temptation is lowered.

So that all of a sudden you fall to that temptation. And guess what happens when
you fall to the temptation? You feel even worse about yourself, of course.

So purity. Make the choice today for purity. The decisions that you make for
integrity and purity, they really do make a difference.

Not only in your life. They make a difference in the lives of the people that
are closest to you more than you'll ever imagine. Now these five things, speech,
life, love, faith, purity, let's ask God for strength in these areas today.

Our Father, you know there are emotions. They're all over the map. They're up
and down.

We feel great one moment. We feel terrible the next moment. But we know, we know
how you feel about us every moment.

You love us. And we know that you can give us strength to live with faith in any
moment. Whether we feel great about ourselves or we don't feel so great.

So I pray today that whatever the feelings, the emotions that we're struggling
with, you help us to live out this life of faith in speech, what we say, in
life, what we do, especially in the routine, in love, who we choose to relate to
today, who we choose to give hope to, in faith, how we trust you for that
decision and in purity, how we choose integrity in those areas of our life.
Lord, help us to choose for you today. And we need your strength.

We can't do it our own. We know you'll give her strength. So we ask for it right
now.

Help us to live in relationship to you today. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
And tomorrow, as we spend our last day looking at 1 Timothy chapter four, we're
going to look at the tools that God puts into your life so that you can make a
difference through your life.